2 weeks Ago By Irishexaminer.com
Returning to SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh after last year’s two-point defeat to Castlehaven, Nemo Rangers were fully aware of the challenge that awaited. At half-time on Sunday having had the breeze at their backs, they would have hoped to be more than one ahead. “We were two up and we tried to stretch it to three, we tried too hard to stretch it to three (Castlehaven secured a turnover that resulted in a Michael Hurley point in stoppage).
We didn’t think that was a fair reflection. We would have preferred to be three up, obviously,” Nemo selector Larry Kavanagh remarked. “Castlehaven ate that away very quickly.
We were chasing them and we kept turning it over on their 21 and that’s oxygen for them, they were breaking at numbers. We played into their hands if you like, but there was not a whole lot we could do. “We had chances, but we never carved out a goal-scoring chance and we needed that.
I’d say Castlehaven went 20 minutes in the second half without hitting a wide, everything they kicked went over. They had a few wides at the end but they didn’t really care at that stage. And we were forcing it.
“We got three points in total in the second half and two of them were from frees, our score from play was from a defender (Kevin Fulignati). That kind of tells its own story. “Castlehaven are well set up in defence, Mark Collins goes back and sits there.
You saw the very last attack we had, Ross Corkery went straight through and who was in the ‘D’ only Mark Collins snapping it up. They are well structured. We knew all that going in, but it takes on a bit of a life of its own out there.
“Maybe we put so much into the first half, we were out on our feet. “A few balls spilled. It’s small things.
You’re six inches away from a fella released through the gap and in on goal, or being intercepted. You couldn’t knock a fella for that. It’s so tight back there.
You have to trust them to go. If they get through it’s a brilliant move and if you don’t you are then going 70/80 yards backwards.” Bryan Hayes scored two great points in the opening half, but he had to be substituted on the 45 minute mark.
Bríain Murphy was tasked with marking Brian Hurley, and despite being a concern beforehand, he lasted until second-half stoppage. “Bryan, who had lit up the first half, his hamstring started coming at him. He was struggling at half-time.
That hurt us as well. Bríain had a great game. He went into it with a groin injury, I’d say he injured everything else out there.
"We kept the two Hurleys quiet enough, they probably still got a few points each but there was no eight point show. “Castlehaven know how to peak. Against the Barrs, they weren’t really impressive.
They were a different beast today.”.
